Refrigerator car



' Sept. 27, 1927.

C. A. RlCHARDSON I REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed July 1, 1926 WENTOR. CHESTER A. RICHARDSON BY M 2 f m ATTORNEYS.

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Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES CHESTER A. RICHARDSON, OF SAN FRANCISbO, CALIFORNIA.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.

Application filed July 1,

This invention relates to refrigerator cars, and particularly to a type of car in which air is continuously and mechanically circulated through the ice bunkers'and the storage compartment, while the car is in transit.

The object of the present invention is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of refrigerator cars; to secure better refrigeration, than is now ordinarily obtained; to increase efficiency and economy of refrigeration; to increase loading or storage capacity, and further maintain a uniform and comparatively low temperature in the storage compartment by maintaining a continuous, mechanical circulation of air through the bunkers and storage compartment, while the car is in transit.

The invention is shown by way of illustrations in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical, central, longitudinal section of the refrigerator car, showing a modified form of bulk-head construction, and air circulation mechanism.

Figure 2 isa plane view in section of the car shown in Figure 1.

The main purpose of the present invention is to insure a uniform and fairly low tem perature in the storage compartment by no maintaining the air in continuous circulation through the compartment and the ice bunkers; this being accomplished by slightly altering the construction of the bunkers, and by providing means whereby the air may mechanically and continuously circulated.

Since the origin of refrigerator cars a number of attempts have'been made to supply adequate refrigeration to the top of the car, or to the top layers of the commodity in thecar, but without material success up to the present time. Suflicient refrigeration to cool the storage compartment and the commodity stored therein down to a low temperature. is available in the ice bunkers and as it is only necessary to conduct the warm air in the car which is originated from the warm temperature of the commodity to the ice bunkers where it can be cooled quickly and readily. Heretofore, ordinary thermo-siphon circulation has been depended upon. After a car using thermo-siphon circulation had been loaded and iced, and had been standing for three days, it was found that the temperature near the ceiling of the car was approximately 50 Fahr. The same car, after mechanical blowers were installed 1926. Serial N0. 119,856.

showed that the temperaturedropped to 39 Fahr. within approximately 24 hours after the blowers were set in o eration, thereby proving that continuous circulation of the air was exceedingly beneficial as it brought about an even temperature throughout the storage compartment and a considerably lower temperature than was heretofore obtained.

It mi ht also be stated that heretofore, where t ermo-siphon circulation was depended upon, it was not possible to load the car'more than four tiers high as the temperature above that level was not sufficiently low to keep some commodities from spoiling. Thousands of dollars have been paid by carriers and car lines in the past to shippers using refrigerated cars, because of the inability of carriers to keep the temperature of the commodity in the upper layers of the storage compartments at a temperature low enough to guarantee their delivery at the market in good condition. Due to the frequent spoilage of the commodity, both carriers and shippers have a reed that certain commodities should'not e loaded higher than the standard loading methods now in effect to secure the best results in transporting fruits and vegetables across the country. Since the installation of the air circulation mechanism, here illustrated, it has been possible to increase a load by two additional tiers, such as indicated by dotted lines at 37. This obviously has increased the carrying capacity approximately 50%, resulting in the carriers handling crops in a quicker space of time with the same equipment, which results in economy to shippers and carriers, aggregating millions of dollars per year. Not only this, but it reduces the number of refrigerator cars required, and to a large extent alleviates car shortage during the heavy seasons, therefore saving a great loss to both producers, consumers and carriers.

The drawings show an installation particularly adapted for use in refrigerator cars which have already been built. It will be understood, however, that this invention may be incorporated in cars at the time of their building, with slight modifications which might occur to the builder. In the drawings 10 indicates the floor of a refrigerator car, upon which are built side walls 11 and 12 and end walls 13 and 14. The side and end walls are of the usual refrigerator car construction, in which an outer wall 15 and an inner wall 16 are provided in spaced relation to each other to form an intermediate air space 17 acting to insulate the interior of the car, and to prevent an exchange of heat from the surrounding atmosphere to the atmosphere within the car. A suitable roof structure 18 is provided, which constitutes the upper roof 19 and a ceiling 2O spaced therefrom to afford sufiicient air insulation above the storage compartment 21, which is formed within the car. Disposed at each end of the storage compartment 21 and within the car are ice bunkers 22 and 23; These bunkers have foraminous side walls 24 and 25, and foraminous end walls 26 and 27 by which a reticulated ice bunker is formed. These walls are preferably of reticulated material. The wall 24 is spaced from the inner partition member 16 of the wall 13 to form an air circulating passageway 28. The end walls 26 and 27 are spaced from the inner partition section 16 of the side walls 11 and 12 to form other air circulating passageways 28. A partition wall 30 is interposed between the storage compartment 21 and the side wall of the ice bunker. This partition wall is formed with an upper air circulating opening 31 and a lower air circulating opening 32. Grate bars 33 are disposed at the bottom of the ice bunkers and permit a circulation of air through the bars and the bunker. These bars are spaced a distance from the floor 10 to allow free circulation of air. The floor 10 is covered with a false floor 34 which is made of slats spaced from each other to allow free circulation of air along a circulating passageway 35 between the main floor 10 and the false floor 34, and also through the spaces between the slats of which the false floor is made.

As previously explained, it is common practice to stack bags of fruit and other perishable goods which are being shipped, in tiers upon the false flooring and to substantially the height indicated by the solid line 36 in Fig. 2 of the drawiigs. By-the present method of air circulation it is possible to stack the boxes to a point adjacent the ceiling 20 and whereby a passageway 36 will be formed between the top of the crates, as indicated by the numeral 37 and the ceiling 20. It is also desirable to interrupt the packing at a point adjacent the middle of the car to form the passageway 38. By this arrangement it will be seen that the circulation of air may take place along a rectilinear path of travel in a vertical plane and within the car as the cold light air passes downwardly through the ice bunkers, and then outwardly through openings 32 in the partition wall t'othen flow from opposite ends of the car towards the center thereof along the passageway which is formed between the main floor 10 and the'false floor 34. Due to the fact that the crates are piled upon the false floor 38 it is evident that a very small proportion of the air which circulates through the passageway 35 will find its way upwardly between the slats of the false floor 34, and in and around the crates and the contents thereof, although a proportion of the cold air will undoubtedly circulate in this manner. The air stream, however, will be established along the passageway 35 to the uncovered portion of the false floor 34 at the center of the car, and will then pass upwardly between the slats into the passageway 38. As the temperature of the air is raised, the air will rise to the top of the car, and will upon striking the ceiling 20 pass outwardly along the passageways 36 formed between the ceiling and the top of the stack of crates, and will find its way into the top of the ice bunkers through the openings 31. Due to this method of air circulation and the method of packing the cars, it will be evident that the air from the bunkers will have free circulation in the car while in intimate contact with the contents thereof, and that in addition a definite air stream cource will be established around and over the crates of material with which the car is packed.

It is the object'of the present invention to increase the cooling efliciency of the car and to increase the loading capacity, and for that reason the air circulating means here shown as in the form of blowers 39 and 40 are provided. These blower structures comprise air rotors 41 which project above the roof 19 of the car, and are adapted to be actuated by the circulation of air on the outside of the car and by the movement of the blowers as the car advances through the air. These blowers are fitted with shafts 42 extending downwardly through the car and secured at the lower ends in suitable air circulating means enclosed within the blower housings 43. The blowers are provided with air induction ports 44 which are directed towards the floor of the car, it being understood that the blowers are preferably spaced mid-way the length of the car and for the purpose of obtaining uniform circulation of the air, they are distributed laterally across the car and in the top of the vertical passageway 38 between the crates. Eduction ports 45 are formed in the housings, and are so arranged as to cause the air from the blowers to be projected horizontally along the air circulating passageways 36 formed between the top 37 of the piles of crates and the ceiling 20. It is to be understood that the eduction ports occur adjacent the blowers. and thus near the center of the car, and that the air expelled by the blowers will have free horizontal circulation over the top crates in the car and in intimate contact therewith. This is in contra-distinction to a structure which provides definite enclosed air ducts leading from the blowers into ice bunkers, and in which structures the air from the blowers does not have occasion to intimately contact with the material in storage. Attention is also directed to the fact that in the present method a natural circulation is produced and beneficial'results obtained due to the fact that the heavy, moist and laden air is delivered into the top of the bunkers and will be cooled to rid itself of its moisture, while attaining a desirable low temperature. It will thereafter pass out at the bottom of the bunkers in a cold, dry condition.

, In practice it has been found that by the arrangement disclosed in the present application it has been possible to establish an initially low temperature in a refrigerator car, and to uniformly maintain th1s temperature within the car during a prolonged period of transit and in a manner which has not been obtained by other methods of icing, packing and air circulation. It will therefore be seen that the present structure, while decidedly simple in construction and operation, acts to effectively increase the loading capacity of refrigerator cars, and to efl'i-" ciently maintain a desired degree of temperature within the cars during transit.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes might be made in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a refrigerator car having a storage compartment formed therein, a pair of ice bunkers disposed one at each end of the compartment; an elevated floor in the storage compartment composed of inter-spaced slats and forming an air duct in the floor in communication with the lower ends of the respective bunkers; said bunkers also have air inlet openings formed in their upper ends; air blowing means disposed at the ceiling of the storage compartment and in the center portion thereof, said blowing means havmg suction inlets directed towards the floor of the storage compartment, and outlets discharging the air into the compartment in opposite directions along and under the ceilmg and towards the upper inlet openings in the respective bunkers, the said inlet and discharge pipes of the blowers being located within the storage compartment and adjacent the blowing means.

2. In a refrigerator car having a storage compartment formed therein, a pair of ice bunkers disposed one at each end of the com partment, an elevated floor in the storage compartment composed of inter-spaced slats and forming an air duct in the floor in communication with the lower ends of the bunkers, said bunkers also-having air inlet openings formed in their upper ends, bulkheads separating the bunkers from the storage compartments and forming intervening air spaces between the bunkers and the bulkheads, a pair of ower driven air blowers disposed at the ceiling of the storage compartment at opposite sides of the latter, said blowers having suction inlets directed towards the floor of the storage compartment, and discharge openings in the blowers located within the storage compartment and discharging into said compartment and in opposite directions under the ceiling of the said compartment at points adjacent said blowers and towards the upper openings of the bunkers, the said inlets and discharge openings maintaining a continuous circulation of air directly within and through the storage compartment and ice bunkers, and the air duct in the floor.

3. In a refrigerator car having a storage compartment therein, a pair of ice bunkers disposed one at each, end of the compartment, a floor in the storage compartment having an air duct in communication with the lower ends of the bunkers and with the storage chamber, said bunkers also having air inlets formed in their upper ends, and

power driven air blowers disposed at the ceiling of the storage compartment and arranged to create an upward draft of air at the center of the storage compartment and to discharge air in opposite directions at the W0 ceilin of the storage compartment over the top 0 the material in the storage compartment toward the air inlets of the upper ends of the ice bunkers to cause the air to pass downward through the ice bunkers and back 1 5 to the storage chamber through the air duct in the floo 4. In a refri erator car having a storage compartment t erein, a pair of ice bunkers disposed one at each end of'the compartment, 1 H

a floor in the storage compartment having an air duct in communication with the lower ends of the bunkers and with the storage cause the air to pass downward through the ice bunkers and back to the storage chamber through the air duct in the floor.

5. In a refrigerator car having a storage compartment therein, a pair of ice bunkers disposed one at each end on the compartment, a floor in the storage compartment having an air duct in communicatlon with the lower ends of the bunkers and with the storage chamber, said bunkers also having air inlets formed in their upper ends, and

power driven air blowers located at the ceiling at the central portion of the storage compartment and at opposite sides thereof and arranged to create an upward draft of air at the center of the storage compartment and to discharge air in opposite directions at the ceiling of the storage compartment over the top of the material in the storage compartment toward the air inlets of the upper ends of the ice bunkers to cause the air to pass downward through the ice bunkers and back to the storage chamber through the air duct in the floor.

6. In a refrigerator car having a storage compartment therein, a pa1r of ice bunkers disposed one at each end of the compartment, a floor in the storage compartment having an air duct in communication with the lower ends of the bunkers and with the storage chamber, said bunkers also having air inlets formed in their upper ends, and power driven air blowers located at the ceiling of the storage compartment at opposite sides of the central portion thereof and having suction inlets arranged to create an upward draft of air at the center of the storage compartment, and short approximately horizontally disposed discharge pipes arranged to discharge air in opposite directions at the ceiling of the storage com partment over the top of the material in the storage compartment and towards the air inlets of the upper ends of the ice bunkers to cause the air to circulate downward through the ice bunkers and back to the Etorage chamber through the air duct in the oor.

CHESTER A. RICHARDSON. 

